Attaching means for grab-irons.



H. U. LA RUE. ATTAGHING MEANS FOR GRAB IRONS.

PPPP IGATION IILED JULY 3 1911.

. 1,071,930. Patented Sept.2,1913. v 2 SSSSSSSSS BET 1.

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ATTAGHING MEANS FOR GRAB IRONS.

APPLICATION TILED JULY 3, 1911.

1,071,930, Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

HENRY U. LA RUE, 0F GHICAGQ, ILLINOIS.

ATTACHING MEANS FOR GRAB-IRONS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

; "I App1ication filed July 3, 1911.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY U. L.\ Run, a citizen of the United States, and a resident. of the city of Chicago, in the county of (look and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attaching Means for Grab-Irons; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numbers of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Ileretofore grab irons for railway cars have usually been attached by means of wood screws, which are usually relatively short and of small diameter. The grab irons, of com'se, extend outwardly a suiticient distance from the car to enable the same to be readily grasped; in consequence, when stress is applied to the grab irons, each grab iron acts practically as a lever to communicate the stress to the screws and in consequence frequent accidents accompanied with loss of life or limb have occurred.

The recent requirements of the interstate commerce law that such grab irons be either riveted or bolted in place, have necessitated expensive changes in applying the grab irons to old cars to conform with the law. For example, the outer covering for the side walls of freight and other wooden cars extends vertically and is of matched lumber, while the inner covering or sheathing which applied to the inner side of the frame, (for example in freight cars) is also of matched lumber and extends horizontally, leaving a space therebetween equal to the thickness of the frame. In complying with the present interstate commerce ruling, it has been necessary to remove some of the outer or the inner sheathing of the car to permit a filler block or blocking to be inserted. between said outer and the inner sheathing and in which the bolts engage. This is expensive and of necessity requires mutilation of the exterior of the car if the outer sheathing be disturbed. This is still more objectionable in the case of refrigerator cars in which an interior non-conducting lining or filling is used, inasmuch as it necessitates disturbing the insulation.

The object of this invention is to afford a construction by means of which the outer end of the attaching bolt is afforded a broad bearing in the outer side covering or Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

Serial No. 636,698.

sheathing of the car and in which the leverage exerted on the bolt by the stress applied to the grab iron is communicated to the inner lining of the car side or end.

It is also an object of the invention to afford a construction in which the longest possible bearing for the attaching bolt is secured to prevent breakage through cramping the bolt when stress is applied to the grab iron.

It is further an object of the invention to afford a construction by means of which the grab iron may be attached to the car so that outward pull exerted by the 'rab iron when stress is exerted against the inner lining, thereby utilizing the resistance of the frame and inner lining instead of tending to pull the outer sheathing or covering away from the frame as heretofore.

It is also an object of the invention to afford a construction by means of which grab irons may be applied to an insulated car as described, without disturbing the insulation or affording any break therein sufficient to permit any material induction of heat through the walls of the car.

The invention embraces many novel features and consists in the matters hereinafter described and more fully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary detail View of a car having the grab irons attached thereto by means ci'nbodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged frag mentary section illustrating the construction shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view in which one of the sleeve sections is omitted. Fig. 4: is a fragmentary detail illustrating the application of attaching means embodying my invention to a refrigerator car. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional, fragmentary detail thereof. Fig. 6 is a view in elevation of the inner end of the attaching means or that on the inner side of the car. Fig. 7 is a section on line 7-7 of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a sectional View in which the sleeve is shown in one piece.

As shown in the drawings: 1, indicates the outer covering boards or sheathing of the side or end of a car constructed of matched lumber, which usually extends vertically, or of other suitable material.

2, indicates th inner sheathing or lining, which is constructed, as shown, of matched lumber extending horizontally or nonvertically.

3, indicates the grab irons of the usual construction and each of which is provided at each end with an apertured foot-piece 41, through which the same is attached to the car. The outer sheathing or covering 1, in applying my invention, is bored of a size larger-than the bolt and inserted therethrough is a sleeve 5, having an outer collarv or we her 6, which may or may not be attached and which may be provided on the inner side thereof with a bead or rib concentric with the bore of the sleeve and adapted to be embedded in the wood of the sheathing. Said sleeve is of a length to extend inwardly approximately to the adjacent side of the lining or sheathing, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5, and the bolt 8, is inserted through a suitable aperture in said lining or sheathing 2, and through said sleeve and with the head 9, bearing against a suitable washer 10, on the inner side of the sheathing and the eye at the end of the grab iron engaged on the end of said bolt by means of the nut 11. When the nut is set up the washers 6 and 10, at the opposite ends of the bolt, are bedded into the outer and inner sheathing 1 and 2, so that the stress applied to. the bolt by the grab iron is communicated over a relatively broad surface on the inner sheathing of the car and is diffused or absorbed in part by the broad bearing of the sleeve in the outer sheathing of the car.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, a sleeve 12, corresponding with the sleeve 5, and having an integral collar or washer 13 at its inner end, is inserted through a suitable aperture in the inner sheathing and the head 9, of the bolt is countersunk therein so that the stress applied on the bolt is distributed over a broad bearing at the head of the bolt, and also on each of the sleeve sections. A similar effect is obtained in the construction for insulated cars, in which the outer sheathing or covering 1, and inner sheathing or covering 2, are as before described, between which is provided one or more layers of insulating felt or other suitable material 1 1, 15, and 16. In applying the grab irons, the outer sheathing 1, and the insulating layer 14, are bored or drilled to a size to receive the sleeve 17 therethrough and the inner end of said sleeve is tapered as indicated at 18, to facilitate its passing through the insulating material without tearing or injuring the same. The inner lining or sheathing 2, of the car is bored or drilled to afiord a somewhatlarger aperture as are also the insulating linings 1,5 and 16, and the sleeve 20, having a greater external diameter than the sleeve 17, and bored to telescope over the end thereof, is inserted through said apertures, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, and is tapered at its end as indicated at 21, as before described, to

the insulating linings or washers for said )rovided with a bead pass readily through The flanged collars sleeves are, as shown,

7, concentric withthe ore of the sleeve, as

before described, and as shown also, a packing washer 22, is inserted in the countersink or recess in the head of the sleeve 20, and against which the head 9, of the bolt 8, bears to securel sack the 'oint to arevent the i r passage of air tnerethrough. Wnen tnenut 11, on the bolt is set up, the sleeves are drawn into telescopcd relation, as shown in Fig. 5, the packing 22, compressed, and the respective beads buried in the outer and in nor sheathing, thus affording a tight joint at all points. Owing to the construction too, the insulation fits snugly to the sleeves on the outer side thereof, preventing any air circulation therethrough, thereby maintaining the insulation wholly unimpaired.

The operation is as follows: Stress applied on the grab iron is communicated to the bolt only as tensile stress, which is communicated to the inner sheathing o-f the car and there distributed over a broad surface and is absorbed thereby and by the frame of the car on the inner side of which the sheathing boards are secured. Direct downward stress on the grab irons is absorbed on the inner and outer sheathing, the broad bearing afforded by the sleeve therethrough preventing any tendency whatever to enlarge the aperture by such stresses, this being further assured by the broad bearing for the inner end of the bolt and sleeve in the inner sheathing. Any cramping tendency what-- ever of a character sufiicient to break or in any manner injure the connection of the grab iron with the car is thus wholly obviated. Obviously, it is not necessary in any instance to remove any of the inner or outer sheathing of the oar-in securing the grab iron in place. In consequence, the exterior of the car is in no manner mutilated.

Of course, I am aware that details of the construction may be varied. I donot purpose, however, limiting the patent to be issued on this application for patent otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention: 7 .7

1. Attaching means for grab irons em bracing a bolt of a length to extend through the inner and outer sheathing of a car and the eye of a grab iron, a washer applied on I the bolt at its end and a flanged sleeve 6X- tended through the outer sheathing toreceive said bolt and to afford a broad bearing therefor in said sheathing.

in said sheathing, and a washer on said bolt and against which the grab iron bears.

3. in a device of the class described, sleeves inserted through the inner and outer sheathing of a car, a bolt extending therethrough, washers on the bolt bearing against the sleeves, a grab iron, and a nut engaging the same 111 place.

4t. In a device of the class described sleeves inserted througl'l the inner and outer sheathing of a car, washers at the ends of said sleeves, a grab iron, a bolt extending through .said sleeves and wz shers and through the eye of said grab irons and a nut engaging the grab iron in place.

5. In a device of the class described sleeve sections inserted through the inner and outer sheathing of a car, integral flanges secured at the ends of each sleeve, gripping tongues on said flanges, a grab iron, and a bolt extending through said sleeves, flanges and grab iron eye to secure the same to the car.

(i. in a device of the class described telescoping intcrfitting sleeves in axial aliue- :ment, each tapered externally at the telescoping extremities, a flange or washer at the opposite extremity of each, a g'ab iron bolt ext-ending through said sleeves with the head countersunk in one of the same, a packing washer in the countersink recess, a grab iron engaged through its eye on the opposite end of said bolt, and a nut engaging the grab iron in place.

7 In a device of the class described telescoping intertitting sleeves in axial alinement, each tapered externally at the telescoping extremities, an integral flange or washer at the opposite extremity of each, a head on the inner side of each washer, a grab iron bolt extending through said sleeves and Washers and having the head thereof countersunk in one of said washers, a pack- Ling washer in the countersink recess, a grab iron engaged through its eye on the opposite end of said bolt, and a nut engaged on said bolt to hold the grab iron in place.

8. The combination with the outer and the inner sheathing and intermediate insulating lining of a refrigerator car, of telescoping interfitting sleeves in axial alinement extending oppositely therethrough and each tapered externally at the telescoping extremities to pass through the insulation, a flange or washer integral with the opposite extremity of each sleeve, a grab iron bolt extending through said sleeves with the head countersunk in one of the same, a pack ing washer in the countersink recess, a grab iron engaged through its eye on the opposite end of said bolt, and a nut engaging said bolt to hold the grab iron in place.

9. The combiiuition with the outer and the inner sheathing and intermediate insulating lining of a refrigerator car, of telescoping sleeves extending theretln'ough, a flange or washer integral with each sleeve, a head on each washer concentric with the bore of the sleeve adapted to be embedded in the sheathing, a grab iron bolt extending through said sleeves, a grab iron engaged on one end of said bolt, and means engaging said bolt to hold the grab iron in place.

10. The con'lbimltion with the outer and the inner sheathing and intermediate insulating lining of a refrigerator ear, of telescoping sleeves extending therethrongh, a flange or washer integral with each sleeve, a grab iron bolt extending through said sleeves, a grab iron engaged on one of the ends of said bolt, and means engaging said bolt to hold the grab iron in place.

11. The combination with the outer and the inner sheathing and intermediate insulating lining of a refrigerator car, of interfitting sleeves in axial alinen'ient. extending oppositely theretlnongh, a llange or washer integral with each sleeve, a grab iron bolt extending tin-(nigh said sleeves, a grab iron engaged through its eye on one of the ends of said bolt, and means engaging said bolt to hold the grab iron in place.

12. The cmnhination with the outer and the inner sheathing and intermediate insulating lining of a refrigerator car, of interfitting sleeves exteinling oppositely there through, a grab iron bolt extending through said sleeves, with the head countersunk in one of the same, a packing washer in the countersink recess, a grab iron engaged on the opposite end of said bolt, and means engaging said boltto hold the grab iron in place.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY U. LARUE.

lVitnesses LA \VREN on Rnms'rn IN, Gmnnins WV. Hines, Jr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

